Computer assets and all related technology are essential to businesses today. With the world so reliant on the internet and connection to resources like search engines, your company’s computer assets need to be continually updated and monitored to ensure continued success. Computer assets enable businesses to automate their processes and procedures when tasks are repetitive or time consuming, and give their employees access to a wealth of information that could increase their productivity. Computer assets fall into 4 main categories, hardware assets, software assets, peripherals, and network assets. At Multiply, we ensure your hardware assets, arguably the most important of the 4 as they house all the rest, stay in peak performance through our IT asset management processes.
What are computer assets?
Computer assets are defined as any technology or device that supports information gathering and processing. This includes hardware, software, data, and other IT assets used in daily business operations. Computer assets help enhance productivity, facilitate communication, and can provide information or data that allows companies to make decisions faster and with greater success. Some computer asset examples that have advanced business as we see it today include the following: Laptops to allow for work to be done outside of an office, software that allows users to connect with other employees in one record of communication even if they are in different locations, and servers and security software that hold and protect important company information.
What are the 4 types of computer assets?
There are four categories of computer assets that IT asset management professionals, Like Multiply Technology, work with every day. These assets are essential to business operations and should be monitored and maintained on a regular basis.
Hardware assets
Hardware assets are considered to be any tangible or physical computer technology asset that a company owns. This includes computers that may be supporting other equipment, like servers, or are in storage and not currently in use, like older model computers or equipment that is in need of replacement or repair. Maintaining an effective record of all hardware assets can become time consuming and tedious, but working with an ITAM partner like Multiply could be the solution you need to give your IT team time back in their day.
Software assets
Software assets owned by a company are just that, software. They are any IT systems that are intangible but provide value to the company, like a customer relationship management software to help sales and marketing teams reach new customers, or a project management tool that allows various teams to collaborate effectively via one system. These assets are typically tied to some kind of licensing agreement or subscription that the company pays to the owner of the software system in order to have access to the technology.
Peripheral devices
Monitors, keyboards, a mouse, and speakers or headsets are great examples of peripheral computer devices. These are pieces of technology that help your employees interact with their hardware in order to create more efficiency in their day, or provide a more comfortable environment for them to work in. Peripheral devices are easy to forget about when managing your entire IT asset inventory due to their low cost and continuous updating. Working with an ITAM partner can alleviate the pressure of constantly cycling through requests for these items by handling the requests themselves and tracking and recovering those assets for you when you need them.
Network assets
Network assets are any hardware and software components that support your internet and other systems, such as routers, switches, servers, firewalls, and other softwares depending on your industry and company size. These tools are vital to the success of your business because of the data security and compliance they provide. If you are unsure what network assets you may need to keep your company data safe, an IT asset management provider like Multiply can guide you in the right direction.
What are the three assets of a computer system?
A typical computer system, when being considered by IT professionals, includes three major components: Hardware, software, and data. While these components are similar to our 4 types of computer assets, this list does not include peripherals due to their lack of data storage and reliance on the computer system itself to function.
Hardware components
This includes all assets that an employee may use that are tangible,such as personal computers, network switches, and hard drives or other data storage devices. These are the medium in which an employee is able to access information and other assets.
Software components
Within any organization, software components are used to help increase productivity, standardize operations and internal processes, and manage customer data effectively and securely.
Data components
All IT assets are processing and storing data on a daily basis. From user data, to customer information, to code and operating systems and back again, computer assets are constantly inundated with information that needs to be stored securely.
What is included in IT assets?
A list of IT assets could go on for pages with everything that is now infused with technology in today’s world. For a detailed list of IT assets, check out this list.
Your computer assets and Multiply
Managing your computer assets is a major task for any IT team to tackle. At Multiply, our team of expert consultants and service technicians are ready to partner with your company to manage your assets efficiently and set you up for long term success. Contact us today to learn more!
